By John Giacoppe
Workers at the Seven Corners New Seasons store in Southeast Portland on strike starting Friday, joining their coworkers and fellow union members at the Arbor Lodge location in Northeast Portland. The Arbor Lodge location began
a strike on Tuesday following the termination of longtime New Seasons employee Randy Foster.
Foster, a nineteen year employee, was terminated early this week on the grounds that he violated store policy and state law by working on his lunch break. Foster does not dispute this fact, but contends he was helping a disabled co-worker close their register so they could catch their bus on time.
"Allowing... My coworker out early was something that was well-practiced, not only by me but by other
lead cashiers on the front end," Foster said.
Foster had been written up the previous month for assisting a coworker in the back of the store while on the clock.
Before these two incidents, Foster maintained a spotless attendance record and had received a number of commendations
and awards from New Seasons management.
Workers at the Arbor Lodge store voted to strike the day Foster was terminated, and began a picket line that afternoon. The Arbor Lodge store closed that evening and has remained closed since, as union members from across Portland,
including members of the Portland Association of Teachers and the Teamsters, have walked the picket line and led chants
demanding Foster's reinstatement.
"When one of us gets fired, what do we do?"
"Get fired up!
"What do we do?"
"Get fired up!"
The striking workers have pledged to end their strike if Foster is reinstated, but store management has not yet responded to their demands.
Randy Foster is the treasurer of the New Seasons Labor Union (NSLU). Union members allege that store management has historically terminated employees because of their union affiliation and activity, using minor policy violations to justify firing members. Jasper Byrnes, a union member at the Grant Park location, was fired shortly after Thanksgiving for putting their hands on a customer's car when the customer drove toward the picket line. Union members speaking off the record asserted that Foster's termination was another example of this tactic.
This is the NSLU's second strike in three months. Contract negotiations between the NSLU and New Season's owners have dragged on for over two years, and the union is urging New Seasons customers to boycott all New Seasons stores until a collective bargaining agreement is reached.
When asked for comment on Foster's termination, New Seasons management stated that "as a matter of policy, we do not comment on individual personnel matters, but any suggestion that staffing decisions are influenced by union affiliation or advocacy is unfounded."
They added that, "We look forward to our next regularly scheduled collective bargaining session with NSLU,"
and expressed their desire to "find a resolution that reflects our values and supports our dedicated staff."
- KBOO